Preview: UFC 188 ‘Velasquez vs. Werdum’

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WOMEN’S STRAWWEIGHTS

Tecia Torres (5-0, 1-0 UFC) vs. Angela Hill (2-0, 1-0 UFC)

THE MATCHUP: This is an excellent pairing of rising strawweights, both of whom were members of “The Ultimate Fighter 20” cast. Torres came into the show as one of the favorites to win it all, but losses to Randa Markos and Carla Esparza took off some of the shine before a crushing victory over Angela Magana at the finale got her back on track. Hill, conversely, was the ultimate dark horse but validated her inclusion by destroying Emily Kagan at the finale.

Torres is a talented and improving young fighter with great physical tools. She likes to circle at range, measuring distance with a steady barrage of side and round kicks and then leaping in with blitzing combinations of hard punches. There is some power in her shots, and she produces a great volume of them. The pocket is not Torres’ specialty, and she usually prefers to either exit on an angle or dive forward into the clinch, though she can counter a bit and will exchange from time to time. She is a strong wrestler with a nice array of doubles and trips, and her takedown defense is nearly impenetrable. From top position, she can control and land a few ground strikes but offers little else.

Like Torres, Hill is a physically talented and developing young fighter. Her background in muay Thai is obvious in her punch-kick combinations at range and especially in her wheelhouse: the clinch. At close range, Hill is a monster, with strong posture, a vicious double-collar tie and excellent use of side clinches and frames to create space and land knees or slashing elbows. Her takedown defense is solid, especially when she can stuff the initial shot, but she struggles a bit when forced into extended wrestling sequences. She knows how to scramble back to her feet from the mat, and that is essentially it.

THE PICK: This should be a crackerjack of a fight between two athletic, developing strawweights. I expect Torres to have a substantial takedown advantage and a significant edge in offensive output at range, but if the fight ends up in the clinch for extended periods, she will likely struggle. Still, the most likely scenario involves Torres piecing up Hill with blitzing combinations and hitting a few takedowns to secure the victory. The pick is Torres by decision.

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